Moxibustion: What is it and how does it work?
Lighting an incense stick to perform a "warming needle" treatment
Have you experienced the nourishing, warming effect of Moxibustion?
Even though our work is most commonly called "Acupuncture," in Chinese, the term for acupuncture is "針灸" Zhēnjiǔ, which translates as "Needles and Moxibustion." So, traditionally, we can't really talk about acupuncture without also considering the other half of this practice - moxibustion.
So what is moxibustion, how does it work, and why has it historically been given equal importance to needling, while remaining mostly unknown to the general public in the West?
At the heart of east Asian medicine and philosophy is the theory of "Yin-Yang", signifying that all things which appear opposite are in fact working together in dynamic relationship. Needles and Moxibustion can be considered a "Yin-Yang pair,” with needles being Yin, and Moxa being Yang. While we use needles to physically engage with acupuncture points on the body, Moxibustion connects with those same points with the warmth of Infrared waves— literally working on the body with energy!
So what is Moxa and how does it work?
Moxibustion, or “Moxa” for short, is a Japanese term for processed and aged Chinese Mugwort, Artemesia sinensis, which is traditionally picked at the summer solstice and aged for up to 9 years. The number nine is numerically associated with Yang energy—as is the peak of summer at the solstice—and the symbolic significance of harvesting this plant at the height of summer is to capture the most intense warming energy of the year and consolidate it into the processed herb, and then aging it nine years to increase and emphasize this warming energetic nature.
This potent “Yang,” however, is more than just symbolic. As research has demonstrated, Moxa's infrared radiation surpasses that of other combustible media tested. This research shows how the strong infrared effect of moxa is unique among plants. Such strong infrared energy can pass directly through skin and warm up muscles, blood vessels,joints, and all the way to the bone. This infrared energy is used to stimulate the same points and meridians as acupuncture needles, but the penetrating thermal effect of Moxa makes it uniquely able to warm the interior of the body in a way that even heating pads and conventional "heat therapies" cannot— in some ways giving a therapeutic effect that can reach even deeper than needles!
What can Moxa Treat?
Moxa's warming properties make it a supportive therapy for any kind of "cold" disorder - whether that is literal feeling of cold or numbness in the hands, feet, or elsewhere, but also injuries and conditions where circulation or metabolic activity is diminished.
It is not only cold that Moxa can treat, however. While conditions such as arthritis, Raynaud's, "Frozen shoulder," digestive disorders and muscular atrophy, can respond positively to Moxa,it can also be used in cases of inflammation and heat, since infrared radiation helps with tissue healing and activates the body's natural anti-inflammatory pathways.
If you feel like there's a time of the year or place in your body where you could use the warmth of summer, Moxa may be right for you! Whether you suffer from sluggish or painful digestion, cold hands and feet, stiff and painful joints, or many other of these “cold” ailments, Moxa can be of help! Book now to discover what Moxa and Acupuncture together can do.